The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Computer numeric control (CNC) machines are operable to perform high speed machining of workpieces, such as aluminum blocks, to form a part. When machining at high cutting speeds, especially with thin walled workpieces, structural dynamics of the machine can become a concern for preventing excessive or unstable vibration. An existing condition indicator analysis box (CIAB) system measures vibrations during cutting, but cannot be used to determine the machine structural dynamics (i.e., natural frequencies and vibration modes).
Currently manual offline testing is used to calibrate and troubleshoot unstable vibrations. For example, with the CNC machine being offline, an operator strikes the CNC machine with an instrumented hammer at one or more points along the machine and vibrations measurements are taken using accelerometers. This operation is subject to operator error and can result in inaccuracies due to an unknown and varying force applied to the machine.
Furthermore, the wear and tear of a tool used by the CNC machine is largely unknown, and periodic preventative maintenance is required. This incurs expensive costs as components with significant remaining life are replaced, machine tools are taken out of service and operators are tied up in unnecessary maintenance. These and other issues are addressed by the teachings of the present disclosure.